Apparatus for grinding dual flats on cards



Nov. 3, 1964 R. B. JENKINS, SR

APPARATUS FOR GRINDING DUAL FLATS ON CARDS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June12, 1963 N v- 1964 R. B. JENKINS, SR

APPARATUS F OR GRINDING DUAL FLATS ON CARDS Filed June 12, 1963 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Q1151--- Zip-74% /////v////v///A 2:: 3 x

INVENTOR. JENKINS, SR.

BY fi A A' r W ATTORNEYS United States Patent ""ce 3,154,895 APPARATUSFUR GRENDING DUAL FLATS 6N CARDS Robert Bain Jenkins, Sn, PA). Box 1160,Gastcnia, N.C.. Filed June 12, 1963, Ser. No. 237,38? Claims. (Cl.51-243) This invention relates to revolving flat card machines whichhave been converted from a single endless series of flats to a dualseries of flats.

Card machines having a single endless series or set of revolving flatsoverlying the main card cylinder, and extending from adjacent thelicker-in to a point adjacent the dofrer cylinder, have been in use formany years. Recently it has been found that card machines could beoperated at faster speeds and would produce a web or sliver of betterquality by providing two successive series or sets of revolving cardflats overlying the main cylinder. Thus, since there are a large numberof conventional card machines already in use, many of them are beingconverted to include two series of card flats instead of one.

As is well known, each card flat has an elongate, narrow, strip of cardclothing thereon which includes closely spaced bent wires whose freeends are inclined rearwardly with respect to the direction of movementof the proximal wire-covered surfaces of the flats and the main cylined.Since the flats must move parallel with, at a slower speed than, and inclose proximity to the wire-covered surface of the main cylinder, thecard flats must be accurately ground from time to time while on the cardmachine. When the grinding operation on one machine is completed, thegrinding apparatus is lifted off of standards, which remain attached tothe machine arches, so the grinding apparatus will not interfere withthe operation of the card flats and may be used to grind the flats ofother card machines.

In the conversion of card machines in the aforesaid manner, it becomesnecessary to provide a separate mounting means in association with eachof the two series of card flats to support the grinding apparatusincluding its grinding roll, the cradle therefor and the associatedbearing members. Conventionally, and as shown in US. Patent No. 620,353,for example, such mounting means comprises a pair of stand members orstandards adjustably secured to the arches at opposed sides of andrearwardly of the vertical plane of the axis of the arches of the cardmachine. Thus, the standards project upwardly and rearwardly at an anglein one direction and have correspondingly inclined bearing surfacesagainst which the bearing members rest so that shoes on the lowerportions of opposed ends of the cradle, and to which the bearing membersare secured, may rest against the ends of the flats moving with theupper run of the corresponding series.

It is apparent that the cradle and bearing members would gravitate awayfrom the bearing surfaces of the standards if such standards wereinclined upwardly and forwardly in the opposite direction from said onedirection, as would be required to effect the grinding of a separateseries of flats overlying a forward angular portion of the arches andthe main cylinder. If the conventional standards were interchanged fromone side of the card machine to the other, the flats would be moving ina direction away from the bearing surfaces and would then causevibration of the bearing members toward and away from the bearingsurfaces of the standards which would result in inaccurate grinding ofthe flats. Thus, it has been necessary heretofore to remove the frontset of flats from the machine and install the same on a special grindingmachine in order to grind the same.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved meansfor supporting a grinding apparatus 3,l54,395 Patented Nov. 3, 1964 ofthe type described adjacent a forward angular portion of the cardmachine arches and wherein means are provided for maintaining the flatbearing surfaces of the bearing members in slidable engagement withmating bearing surfaces of grinder stand members whose mating bearingsurfaces are inclined upwardly and forwardly at an angle and faceforwardly toward the direction opposite from that toward which moves thecorresponding upper run of the front set of card flats, and wherein veryminor modifications are made in the grinding apparatus so that it mayalso be readily mounted on the existing conventional grinder standmembers adjacent the aforementioned rear angular portion of the archesof the card machine for grinding the rear set of card flats.

It is another object of this invention to provide a grinder supportingmeans for use adjacent the forward angular portion of the card machinearches which may be manufactured by modifying the existing types ofgrinder bearing members and grinder stand members such as areconventionally used adjacent the rear angular portion of the cardmarchine arches.

It is a more specific object of this invention to provide supportingmeans of the character described for each end of the grinding roll,which supporting means comprises a pair of members wherein one of themembers is in the form of a bearing member attached to the correspondingend of a cradle having a shoe portion thereon adapted to rest upon andto be displaced by corresponding ends of flats moving therebeneath andwherein the bearing member has the corresponding end of the grindingroll journaled thereon. The other member is in the form of a grinderstand or support member fixed to the corresponding arch of the cardmachine, said members having interengaging angularly disposed bearingsurfaces thereon with a guide plate removably secured to the outersurface of one of the members and having an elongate slot thereinthrough which guide means or pins extend from the outer surface of theother of the members, and the relative positions of the bearingsurfaces, the guide means, and the slot being such as to maintain thebearing surfaces in slidable engagement with each other so the bearingmember may move upwardly and downwardly relative to but in preciseparallel relationship to the mating bearing surface of the standard,thereby permitting the shoe on the corresponding end of the cradle torest against and to be accurately displaced by the corresponding ends ofthe card flats as they move beneath the shoe during the grindingoperation.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objectswill appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings, in which FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of arevolving flat card vmachine, with parts broken away, showing the sameequipped with two endless sets or series of card flats, with aconventionally mounted grinding apparatus being positioned adjacent theright-hand or rear set of card flats and the improved grinder supportingapparatus of the present invention being positioned adjacent theleft-hand or front series of card flats;

FEGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation of the upper left-handportion of FIGURE 1 and showing the improved grinder supportingapparatus more in detail;

FEGURE 3 is a fragmentary sectional plan view taken substantially alongline 3-3 in FIGURE 2; V

FEGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional plan view takensubstantially along line 4-4 in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary elevation, partially in section, looking atthe left-hand side of the structure show in FIGURE 2 substantially alongline 55; and p j FIGURE 6 is an enlarged substantially vertical sec- 3tional View taken substantially along line 66 in PEG- URE 2.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the numeral l broadlydesignates one of the arches or main side frame members of a cardingmachine. The arch id is of somewhat semi-circular form and itsperipheral edge conforms substantially to the shape of a card cylinder11 which is driven to rotate in a counterclockwise direction in FIGURE 1by means of electric motor 12. Textile fibers are directed to main cardcylinder 11 from a conventional licker-in section 13 and the fiberspicked up by the clothing 0 (FIGURE on the card cylinder 11 aresuccessively moved past the lower reaches of rear and front endlessseries or sets of card flats respectively broadly designated at 14, 15.The carded fibers are removed from card cylinder 11, adjacent the frontportion thereof, by the usual dolfer cylinder 16, as is well known.

The individual flats of each series 14, 15 are indicated at and are inthe form of elongate flat bars whose outer surfaces are provided withcard clothing 21 in the form of closely spaced bent wires. As shown inFIGURE 5, the wire clothing 2-1 terminates at a point spaced inwardlyfrom the free ends of the bars of the flats and the end portions of thebars forming the lower runs of the series 14, 15 must move in slidingengagement with an arcuate race bar or flexible bend 22 adjustablysecured to the corresponding arch 1'9 for maintaining the free ends ofthe wires of the clothing 21 on the flats Ed in accurately spacedrelation with respect to the card clothing on the main cylinder 10.

The corresponding ends of cards flats 20 are pivotally connected toendless card flat chains 23 which, as shown in the upper portion ofFIGURE 5, are spaced inwardly from the corresponding free end portionsof the card flats 2b. The chain 23 and card flats 26 of the series 14-overlie a forward angular portion of main cylinder 11 and arch l9 andare mounted on a pair of lower and upper drums or rollers 25, 26 fixedon respective shafts 27, 28. The flats 29 and chain 23 of the frontseries 15 overlie a forward angular portion of card cylinder Ill andarch it) and are mounted on front and rear rollers 31, 32 mounted onrespective shafts 33, 34.

Shafts 27, 28, 3c, 34 are mounted in respective bearing stands 35-38suitably secured to the outer surface of arch 10 and projecting upwardlyand substantially radially therefrom. One of the shafts 23 or 33% isdriven by Wellknown means, not shown, and transmits rotation to theother of the latter shafts by means of an endless sprocket chain 4-1 andsprocket wheels 42, d3 fixed on corresponding ends of the respectiveshafts 23, 33-. Thus, both sets or series of flats 1 15 are driven tomove in the same direction and wherein the lower runs thereof moveforwardly in the same direction as the main card cylinder but at aslower speed than the peripheral speed of the main card cylinder 11. ofthe card clohing 21 on the flats 29 of both series 14, i5 projectupwardly or outwardly with respect to the upper runs of thecorresponding card flat series 14, 15, a conventional flat grindingapparatus, broadly designated at 46, is shown in operative position forgrinding the flats in series 14 at the rear angular portion of arch 1dand cylinder 11, and a card flat grinding apparatus embodying thepresent invention and broadly designated at 4-7 is shown in operativeposition with respect to the flats in series 15 at the forward angularportion of arch lb and main cylinder 11 in FEGURE 1. means at only oneend of each of the card flat grinding apparatuses 46, 47 is shown in theaccompanying drawings, but it is to be understood that similar mountingmeans are provided at the opposite ends of the respective card flatgrinding apparatuses d6, 47 at the opposite side of the machine fromthat shown in FIGURE 1.

As heretofore stated, the supporting means of the 115.47 may bemanufactured by modifying the existing Since the points of the wires Thesupporting present invention and associated with the grindingapparatypes of grinder bearing members and grinder stand members orstandards such as are conventionally used adjacent the rear angularportion of the card machine arch 10 and which are shown in associationwith the conventional grinding apparatus 46. Accordingly, only thegrinding apparatus 47 will be described in detail and those parts of thegrinding apparatus 46 corresponding to like or similar parts of thegrinding apparatus 47 shall bear the same reference characters with theprime notation added, where applicable, for purposes of comparisonbetween the two apparatuses id, 47 and for purposes of brevity.

Referring to FTGUR S 1, 2, 4 and 5, the grinding roll 58 of apparatus 47is mounted on a shaft 51 which may be rotated in any desired manner andis journaled in sleeve bearings B only one of which is shown. Eachsleeve hearing B is carried by an adjustable bearing member or end plate53 adjustably secured to the outer surface of a shoe 54 integral with anend frame member 55 of a cradle broadly designated at 56, it beingunderstood that an end frame member identical to member 55 is positionedat the opposite side of the machine adjacent the opposite end of thegrinding roll 59 from that shown in FIGURES 1, 2, 4 and 5. Frame member55 is provided with a pair of upper and lower ears a, b and the ears onthe two end frame members are interconnected by cross-rods c, d.

The bearing member 53 is mounted on the end frame member 55 and its shoe54 to be adjustable upwardly and downwardly thereon in any desiredmanner. Accordingly, a tongue 57 (FIGURE 4) extends from the innersurface of bearing member 53 and fits in a corresponding longitudinallyor substantially vertically extending groove or recess formed in theouter surface of the corresponding end frame member 55. An adjustmentscrew 61 loosely penetrates an ear portion 62 (FIGURE 5) projectinginwardly from the upper end of bearing member 53 and has a collar 63thereon which engages the lower surface of ear 62. Adjustment screw isthreaded into the corresponding portion of end frame member 55 so thatthe adjustment screw 61 may be rotated for raising or lowering thecorresponding bearing member 53 relative to the end frame member 55 ofcradle 56.

during movement of the flats beneath the corresponding 7 shoe 54. Sincethe shoe 54 rests upon the flats, it is apparent that the relativeposition between the grinding roll 59 and the shoe 54 determines themanner in which the wires of the flats 2d are ground.

The cradle end frame member 55 has a pin 67 projecting outwardlytherefrom at a point rearwardly of the rear bearing surface (:9 ofbearing member 53 and which is adapted to be positioned in a recess e(FIGURES 2 and 3) formed in a mating bearing surface 79 on an upwardlyprojecting arm 71 of a grinder support member broadly designated at 72.The front end of slot e is open so than when the grinding apparatus 47is not in use, the bearing member 53 and end frame member 55 of cradle5-5 may be moved forwardly to remove the pin 67 from slot e, whereuponthe pin 67 may then be positioned on a higher level in a recess 3 whichis also formed in the front bearing surface of grinder support member72.

The grinder support member 72 on each side of the machine is suitablysecured to a corresponding bracket '75 and may be angularly adjustedrelative to bracket 75 in the manner disclosed in said US, Patent No.620,353.

Bracket 75 is suitably secured to the outer surface of arch N, as bymeans of a screw 76 which penetrates a longitudinally extendingadjustment slot 77 formed in bracket 75 and is threaded into a guideblock 89 fixed to thearch 1'0.

The upper end of bracket 75 is spaced beneath the corresponding shoe 54and has a pair of laterally opposed arcuate guide surfaces 82, 33thereon upon which the exposed ends of the flats 20 are adapted to move,in sliding engagement therewith, in the course of movement thereoftoward and away from the grinding wheel 50 and to thus insure that bossportions 20a n the corresponding ends of the flats 20, and opposite fromthe wires on the flats 20, are moved into engagement with an inwardlyprojecting guide member 84 integral with bracket 75, the latter guidemember 84 being positioned substantially radially of the axis ofgrinding roll 50. The guide member 84 permits the flats 20 to rock uponthe same as the upper surfaces of the free end portions thereof followthe contour of the lower surface of the corresponding shoe 54, thusinsuring that the flats are properly positioned during the grindingoperation.

The parts heretofore described in association with the grindingapparatus 47 are conventional and, as a matter of fact, thecorresponding parts associated with the conventional grinding apparatus46 adjacent the rear angular portion of arch and main cylinder 11 may beidentical to those parts heretofore described with respect to thegrinding apparatus 47. It can readily be seen in the right-hand portionof FIGURE 1 that the mating surfaces 69, 79 will remain in engagementwith each other throughout the grinding operation, because the bearingmember 53 rests against the correspondingly upwardly and rearwardlyinclined surface 70' of support member 72'-. Also, the upper or outerrun of the card flat series 14 moves downwardly and rearwardly towardthe front or upper bearing surface 70' of support member 72 during thegrinding operation and further assists in maintaining the bearingsurface 69' of bearing member 53' against and in sliding engagement withthe mating bearing surface 70' of grinder support 72' as the lower orinner surface of the shoe 54' rests against and is shifted inwardly andoutwardly by the card flats Zt) moving therebeneath.

However, since the bearing member 53 and the support member 72associated with each end of the grinding apparatus 47 must extend insubstantially the opposite angular direction from that at which thebearing surfaces 69, 70' extend in order to effect the grinding of theflats 20 of the front series 15, it is apparent that the cradle 56 andthe bearing member 53 on each end thereof would gravitate away from thesupport member 72. Also, as heretofore stated, if the conventionalsupport member at the opposite side of the machine from the supportmember 72 shown in FIGURE 1 was positioned at the same side of themachine as that shown in FIGURE 1 for supporting the grinding apparatus47, the bearing surface corresponding to surface 70' on the supportmember would be facing toward the direction toward which thecorresponding upper or outer run of the card flat series 15 is movedduring the grinding operation.

Thus, in the latter instance, the movement of the card flats against thelower surface of the corresponding hearing member would cause thebearing member to vibrate or move away from the corresponding supportand this would result in such faulty grinding of the flats that theywould probably have to be discarded. Accordingly, in order that thegrinding apparatuses 46, 47, including the cradles 56, 56 and bearings53, 53' may be'interchangeable and may be used for grinding the flats ofother card machines, novel means are provided for maintaining the flatbearing surfaces of the bearing members, such as bearing member 53, inslidable engagement with the mating bearing surfaces of grinder standmembers or support members, such as the support member 72.

To this end, each pair of members 53, 72, only one pair of which isshown in the present drawings, has a guide plate 90 positioned againstthe outer surfaces thereof and being secured to one of the members ofsaid pair while the other of the members of said pair has guide meanscooperating with the plate 90 to maintain the surfaces 69, in engagementwith each other while permitting relative sliding movement therebetween.In this instance, guide plate 90 is removably secured to the outersurface of bearing member 53 by means of a pair of vertically spaced orlongitudinally spaced shoulder screws 91 whose threaded portions arethreaded into the bearing member 53 and whose shoulder portions areclosely fitted in corresponding bores 92 (FIGURE 4) extending throughguide plate 90.

Guide plate 90 has an elongate slot 94 therethrough which extends inprecise parallel relationship to the bearing surfaces 69, 70 and throughwhich guide elements or pins 95 loosely extend, there being two of thepins 95 shown in FIGURE 2. The pins 95 are suitably secured to andproject outwardly from the outer face of the upstanding portion 71 ofbracket 72. The relative positions of the rear wall of slot 94, the rearsurfaces of pins 95 and the bearing surfaces 69, 7th of members 54, 72are such that the pins 95 will maintain the rear bearing surface 69 ofbearing member 53 in precise parallel slidable engagement with the frontbearing surface 70 of support member 72, while permitting the bearingmember 53 to move upwardly and downwardly as the successive flats 20move into engagement with the specially shaped lower surface of the shoe54.

It is thus seen that, although the fixed bearing surface 70 of thegrinder stand member or support member 72 faces downwardly and forwardlyand extends at an angle substantially radially with respect to the axisof the arch 10 and main cylinder 11, the bearing member 53 and, thus,the grinding roll 50 may move vertically or substantially radially withrespect to the axis of main cylinder 11 while the lower speciallyconfigured surface of the shoe 54 of cradle 56 will remain accuratelypositioned with respect to the guide projection 84 (FIGURE 5) on thecorresponding bracket 75. It is apparent that the grinding apparatus 47may readily be removed from the grinder support member 72 and thebracket for use in the grinding of the flats on another carding machineor for use in place of the grinding apparatus 46 in the right-handportion of FIGURE 1, simply by removing the screws 91 from thecorresponding bearing member 53 and plate at each side of the machine.

Sincepthe screws 91, the holes in the bearing member '53 into which thescrews 91 are threaded, and the bores 92 for the shoulder portions ofthe screws 91, and formed in the plate 90, are accurately positionedwith respect to the bearing surfaces 69, 70, the pins 5 and the rearwall of the elongate slot 94, it is apparent that the grinding apparatus47 may readily be installed on the support member or grinder standmember 72 whenever the grinding operation is to be completed. Of course,when the grinding apparatus 47 is not being used, it may be completelyremoved from the machine by removing the screws 91 from plate 90 and thecorresponding bearing member 53 or, once the screws 91 and plate 90 areremoved from each bearing member 53, it is apparent that the entirecradle 56 and its bearing members and grinding roll 50 may be movedforwardly to remove the corresponding pins from the recesses e on eachside of the machine and may then be moved upwardly so that the pins 67may rest in the corresponding notches or recesses f to support thegrinding apparatus 47 in inoperative position while it is not beingused.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferredembodiment of the invention and, although specific terms are employed,they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not forpurposes of limitatiomthe scope of the inventionbeing defined in theclaims.

I claim: 7

1. In an apparatus for grinding the flats on a revolving flat cardmachine, said apparatus including a cradle,

a bearing member on said cradle, a grinding roll journaled for rotationon said bearing member, a grinder support member secured to said cardingmachine and extending upwardly therefrom at an angle, said supportmember having a bearing surface extending at an angle and facingdownwardly, and said bearing member having a bearing surface adapted toslidably move against the downward facing bearing surface of saidsupport member; the combination therewith of a plate positioned againstsaid members, bridging said bearing surfaces and secured to one of saidmembers, said plate having an elongate slot therein spaced from butextending parallel to the bearing surfaces of said members, and guidemeans carried by the other of said members and penetrating said slot andbeing spaced from said bearing surfaces a distance substantially equalto the distance that the slot is spaced from said bearing surfaces formaintaining said bearing surfaces in slidable engagement with eachother.

2. In a card-flat grinding apparatus having a bearing member, a grindingroll journaled on said bearing member, a stand member adapted to besecured in a fixed position on a card machine, and said members havingmating flat bearing surfaces thereon and also having flat outer surfacesthereon; the combination therewith of a guide plate fixed to the fiatouter surface of said bearing member and extending adjacent the outersurface of said stand member, means on said stand member for guidingsaid plate in a path parallel to said bearing surfaces, and saidlast-named means being operable to maintain the bearing surface of saidbearing member in engagement with the bearing surface of said standmember.

3. In a card-flat grinding apparatus having a bearing member, a grindingroll journaled on said bearing member, a stand member adapted to besecured in a fixed position on a card machine, and said members havingmating flat bearing surfaces thereon and also having flat outer surfacesthereon; the combination therewith of a guide plate fixed to the flatouter surface of said bearing member and extending adjacent the outersurface of said stand member, guide means carried by and extendingoutwardly from said stand member, and said plate having an elongate slottherethrough extending parallel with said bearing surfaces and matingwith said guide means so as to permit said bearing member to move insliding engagement with said stand member while maintaining said hearingsurfaces in engagement with each other.

4. In an apparatus for grinding the flats on a revolving flat cardmachine, said apparatus including a cradle, a bearing member on saidcradle, a grinding roll journaled for rotation on said bearing member, agrinder support member secured to said carding machine and extendingupwardly therefrom at an angle, said support member having a bearingsurface extending at an angle and facing downwardly, and said bearingmember having a bearing surface adapted to slidably move against thedownwardly facing bearing surface of said support member; thecombination therewith of a plate positioned against said members andbridging said bearing surfaces, means removably securing said plate toone of said members, said plate having an elongate slot therein spacedfrom but extending parallel to the bearing surfaces of said members, anda pair of guide pins projecting outwardly from the other of said membersand penetrating said slot and being spaced from said bearing surfaces adistance substantially equal to the distance that the slot is spacedfrom said bearing surfaces for maintaining said bearing surfaces inslidable engagement with each other,

5. In an apparatus for grinding the flats on a revolving flat cardmachine, said apparatus including a cradle, a bearing member on saidcradle, a grinding roll journaled for rotation on said bearing member, agrinder support member secured to said carding machine and extendingupwardly therefrom at an angle, said support member having a bearingsurface extending at an angle and facing downwardly, said bearing memberhaving a bearing surface adapted to slidably move against the downwardlyfacing bearing surface of said support member and said members have fiatouter surfaces thereon; the combination therewith of a plate positionedagainst the outer surfaces of said members, means removably securingsaid plate tothe outer surface of said bearing member, said plate havingan elongate slot therein spaced from but extending parallel to thebearing surfaces of said members and registering with said stand member,a pair of longitudinally spaced pins fixed to and projecting outwardlyfrom said stand members and penetrating said slot, the surfaces of saidpins remote from said bearing surfaces being spaced from said bearingsurfaces a distance substantially equal to the distance that thecorresponding wall of the slot is spaced from said bearing surfaces formaintaining said bearing surfaces in slidable engagement with eachother.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS620,353 Penney Feb. 28, 1899

2. IN A CARD-FLAT GRINDING APPARATUS HAVING A BEARING MEMBER, A GRINDINGROLL JOURNALED ON SAID BEARING MEMBER, A STAND MEMBER ADAPTED TO BESECURED IN A FIXED POSITION ON A CARD MACHINE, AND SAID MEMBERS HAVINGMATING FLAT BEARING SURFACES THEREON AND ALSO HAVING FLAT OUTER SURFACESTHEREON; THE COMBINATION THEREWITH OF A GUIDE PLATE FIXED TO THE FLATOUTER SURFACE OF SAID BEARING MEMBER AND EXTENDING ADJACENT THE OUTERSURFACE OF SAID STAND MEMBER, MEANS ON SAID STAND MEMBER FOR GUIDINGSAID PLATE IN A PATH PARALLEL TO SAID BEARING SURFACES, AND SAIDLAST-NAMED MEANS BEING OPERABLE TO MAINTAIN THE BEARING SURFACE OF SAIDBEARING MEMBER IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE BEARING SURFACE OF SAID STANDMEMBER.